Neuroimaging contributions to novel surgical treatments for intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder

Research in predictor studies has largely been limited to disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as it has a fairly well-established pathophysiology in the literature, and patients with OCD are more likely to receive neurotherapeutic treatment. As neurosurgical procedures are often invasive and involve standard risks associated with neurosurgery, along with a high cost, there is a major impetus to distinguish potential responders to treatment using neuroimaging techniques. This could not only assist in patient selection and improve response rates, but could also potentially be implemented to tailor a treatment avenue to an individual patient. Here we review studies that elucidate the pathophysiology of OCD, illustrate modern neurosurgical treatments and investigate predictive correlates of treatment outcome.